WAVERLY, Iowa – In the absence of an NCAA indoor track and field championship, Wartburg College invited the top national performers in each event to the DIII Elite Indoor National Championships March 12-13.  Birmingham-Southern women's track and field sent Monasia Taylor (Lawrenceville, Ga./Archer HS) and Kamryn Bendolph (Madison, Ala./Columbia HS) to compete in the 60m, 200m, and 400m dashes.  The men's team sent Jordan Jones (Powder Springs, Ga./Hiram HS), Maurice Sutherland (Meridian, Miss./Northeast HS) and John Jacobs (Albany, Ga./Deerfield-Windsor HS) to compete in the triple jump and 60m dash.
 
"I am beyond proud of the way our student-athletes competed this weekend," said Head Coach Kenneth Cox.  Wartburg College is one of the top programs in the history of track and field and any chance to be in a meet against them and the nations top athletes is incredible."
 
Jones became the national triple jump champion with a personal and school record distance of 14.58m.  Sutherland placed third overall with a personal record distance of 13.81m.  Jacobs had the ninth fastest 60m time in the prelims.  He crossed just 0.02 seconds off his personal record
 
Taylor qualified for the 60m dash finals and placed seventh overall. She crossed in a personal record time of 7.98.  Bendolph set a personal and school record in 400m dash.  She finished in 1:00.16, good for 10^th place overall.  She also set a PR in the 200m dash, crossing in eighth place at 26.90.
 
"The atmosphere was unbelievable and our team stepped up to the challenge," added Cox.  "Each one of them recorded seasons best or personal records, which will be valuable going into our outdoor season. They were ready for this championship meet and have now earned the title as one of the nations elite athletes in track and field."